Pac Div with Snoop Dogg @ The Depot 12.21

It was another Friday night in Salt Lake City, but this one was promising to be a little more special than the other because, according to the Mayans, the world we lived in would be ending by midnight, so what better way to go out than at a Snoop Dogg concert?! Yes, the one and only Snoop Dogg would be gracing the great city of Salt Lake for one night only and it happened to be the end of world, can you say ideal? After getting patted down, which on a side note, was just further confirmation that I was at a Snoop Dogg show, I made my way to the main stage and was immediately greeted by one of my favorite aromas in the world—weed. To say it stunk of weed in the Depot would be a huge understatement! I’ve never seen the depot so cloudy in my life. I’m pretty sure I got a contact high, that’s how incredible it was. After getting over the weed aspect of the night, I focused in on the stage, which was inhabited by three young men under the alias of Pac Div, aka Pacific Division.

Pacific Division, made up of members Like, Mibbs and Be Young, is based out of Southern California and have been rapping together since high school, but back then, they were an eleven member group. After shrinking the group to three members in 2005, they released their first mixtape called Sealed For Freshness. The mixtape gave them national recognition from the likes of Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Source and Vibe. They also caught the attention of hip hop’s most popular names today, like Pharrell Williams, Ludacris, Talib Kweli and more. They’ve opened up for Nas, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, N.E.R.D. and a couple of other big names in the industry. Since then Pac Div has released two more mixtapes and an album titled The Div. Their new album, GMB, released on Nov. 27, features some of hip hop’s biggest names in the game right now like Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Ty$ and more.

Watching Pac Div on stage reminded me why I love hip hop: They absolutely impressed the shit out of me and they were only 20 minutes into their set! Fun antics, probing lyrics, hyper energy and a beat you can twerk to—these are a few of my favorite things and Pac Div gave it to me, plus tenfold. This was my first time seeing the group and they did not disappoint! Tracks like “Anti-Freeze” and my favorite song from their set that night, “Posting,” had the crowd going so hard it was ridiculous! Without a doubt, “Posting” would have to be my theme song. It had the sickest, most honest lyrics I’ve heard in a long time. It was also their last song of the night, and for good reason. Pac Div absolutely slayed the crowd, and when they left the stage, everyone around was yelling for an encore.

They definitely warmed up the crowd proper for the one and only Snoop D-O-Double-G! The one complaint, though I wasn’t too perturbed by it, was the fact that Snoop Dogg didn’t actually go on stage until after midnight, and the boys of Pac Div had left the stage at about 10:45 p.m. So, for more than an hour, the audience and I waited to see if Snoop Dogg would even show up. There were some who felt he wouldn’t, so they left. I‘m pretty sure that the Depot lost at least 100 or more patrons that night because of the infamous pothead’s tardiness. I can’t lie—I was contemplating leaving myself. I didn’t really feel that spending my last potential night on Earth staring at an empty stage would be ideal. However, I had faith, probably because earlier that day, I had spotted a woman of such high booty caliber that she had to be out of town, aka a Snoop Dogg back-up dancer. I later found out that I was right when Snoop Dogg finally graced the stage. He played all of my favorites: “Gangsta Party,” “I Wanna Love You,” “Who Am I,” “Aint No fun” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” just to name a few. My favorite part was when his track with Wiz Khalifa and Bruno Mars, ”Young, Wild and Free,” came on, he lit a blunt on stage and started blowing smoke into the audience—it was classic Snoop.

By the end of his set, I felt Snoop Dogg’s performance had more than apologized for him being so late and keeping everyone waiting. He was incredible! The Depot definitely got their money’s worth with the show: Even with a 100 people gone, the place was still packed to the brim, and the diversity of fans was a sight to see. My favorite attendee was this elderly woman in a wheelchair who sat on the balcony with probably the best view in the house. Snoop Dogg said it himself: He has fans of all ages, but the ones who have been following him since 1991 are some serious O.G.s when it comes to being a fan! At the end of the night, I got to hang out with Pac Div and Snoop Dogg, which I’ m so grateful for. They’re some seriously humble guys and great after-party hosts!